


If You Stay

by sonicsora



Category: Crash Bandicoot (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family, Found Family, Gen, Headcanon, Mutants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-12-02 21:02:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11517417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonicsora/pseuds/sonicsora
Summary: After the initial rush of a rescue, Tawna realizes she's... bored. She's bored of living on a beach, she's bored of the routine she's built with Crash. Pinstripe offers her a chance to see the world, but... does she really want to go for it?Tawna has to make a choice, go the easy route and run away or the harder choice of really being with Crash. Crash ends up being her choice. AU.





	1. Will You Stay?

**Author's Note:**

> After playing through some of Crash 1 on the new remaster, I- just have been mulling over Tawna. I know the background reason why she disappeared from the games (too sexy to handle) but I had to make a fic about it. Be it an AU where she decides to stay.
> 
> Enjoy my wild amount of headcanon that attempts to bridge the gap between games. Given how HUGE Cortex's operation was, I can only guess there were many, many, many animals mutated. 
> 
> Crash and Tawna are Bandicoot 0.1 and 0.2 respectively. The first run, whilst Coco is 2.1. There were... a lot of bandicoots who didn't make it to say the least.
> 
> This will be kind of a loose drabbly fic. When I have an idea I'll make a chapter kinda deal. No real straight up rewrite of any games.

Staying proved to be the hardest part. Out of anything she could have done, staying was definitely the hardest. After the adrenaline rush and freedom of being out of the lab, having a _life_ , staying with Crash was a hard thing. Not because he was unkind or hurtful, if anything he was shockingly gentle and careful. He was everything Cortex and his goons weren’t. Crash always lit up when he saw her, held her hand gently in his own and smiled at her in a way that made her knees quake. He wasn’t exactly talkative, but he hadn’t been in the labs either, he always listened. He always responded how he could. That much carried through here. 

Their lives shifted so dramatically from being purely animals in nature to having sapience. Suddenly she could think on a level her parents couldn’t have and never would. She wasn’t just an animal anymore. She was… something else entirely. A mutant. 

The animal side of her, if she had it anymore, wanted an easier route. A route that didn’t require much beyond surviving and coasting along. Maybe it’s not an animal side of her at all, maybe it’s just her wanting to be excited and get that thrill from her rescue again? Tawna isn’t entirely sure, but the thought keeps her up at night. 

Whilst Tawna and Crash established a place to live and other mutants started to trickle out of the wreckage that is Cortex castle. She has wanderlust in a way she never thought she could have. Tawna spends time exploring the islands, reluctantly retreating back home when it starts to get too dark to carry on. Crash is always waiting for her, offering a hug and wumpa fruit to eat. It’s hardly perfect, but it is becoming home. Home with neighbors and a routine. Tawna isn't sure if she likes the routine, if she likes complacency. Back in the lab it was usually the same schedule without missing a beat. Did she really want that here too? 

A small society of weird twisted animals start to take shape on Wumpa Islands and N.Sanity Islands. She recognizes some of them somewhat. Kangaroos, Bats, Snakes- anything Cortex could snap up from the wilderness was mutated with varying results. Twana realizes fairly quickly just how out of control Cortex was when it came to mutating animals, from A through Z there is someone who is struggling in the same way she is. Other mutants start looking to her for help, looking at her like a mentor since she and Crash have been out the longest. They had a month of freedom more than anyone else and suddenly they're the mentors. Tawna isn't entirely sure how she feels on that, if she's ready to be some authority figure. Even as time passes and the other mutants adjust, she's still looked up to. It only makes Tawna feel antsier. 

Her wanderlust isn’t helped when Pinstripe sends her a letter inviting her to Chicago. The temptation of leaving keeps her from crumpling up the paper with a Cortex letterhead. Tawna ends up rereading it semi-regularly over the next week or so. Pinstripe and what remain of his ‘gang’ are apparently moving out there to work on something. The details in his letter are fairly vague beyond promising to swing by soon enough. He wanted to talk to her about it in person. Tawna can only guess whatever plans Pinstripe have aren't the most stable or honest kind.

Pinstripe was… never her favorite person, she didn’t exactly hate him either. Every time they met prior primarily had been the man aggressively flirting _at_ her. She had been one of the few fully evolved women around at the time, so Tawna got unhappily used to quite a bit of attention from the male mutants who didn't quite understand tact. Even if they weren’t the same species he made a point to wink at her and make finger guns.

Tawna grew used to blowing his advances off, attempting to just coast by the best way she could. When she could deflect flirting to conversation she was relieved. Whatever conversations they had usually revolved around his affection for gangster themed anything. Cortex had done his best to play human films for his mutant armies as a fast track to teach them how to talk. It lead to a variety of accents, weird speech mannerisms and confusion all around. Pinstripe had glommed onto gangster films as did other Potoroo’s. Tawna did her best to indulge conversation given the fact free time for the mutants was fairly limited. Sometimes he surprised her with a genuine compliment or made her laugh with an actual joke. She doesn’t even like the guy, but she’s definitely thinking about running away with him because she’s _bored_. What does that say about her? Tawna hates the fact she's even considering it at all.

When the day comes she tells Crash she’s going out and he doesn’t think anything of it. That much makes her feel a little guilty. Crash trusts her so much and so undeniably he doesn’t think anything of her leaving to see Pinstripe.

She jogs across the beach, kicking up sand along the way as she heads into the woods. The familiarity of it all comforting as much as it was stifling. She had always wanted to see an actual city in person. She could be on a plane, she could have more than a handful of things to wear salvaged from the castle, she could have real human food, and she could actually do so much more than be a mutant in a jungle. The thoughts bounce through her head as she runs, hands clenching into fists at her sides as she moves. She can hear laughter in the distance. Tawna recognizes Pinstripe’s voice out of the chatter just ahead. For once she's excited to hear his voice. For once the wave of unease she feels around the gangsters isn't as strong.

She wouldn’t wake up with sand in her fur anymore, she wouldn’t have wumpa rinds in bed, she wouldn’t have to deal with the beach ever again-

She wouldn’t have Crash. 

That thought made her slow, nearly stumbling over her own feet. Did she really want to leave Crash? After everything? 

She didn’t owe him anything of course. He never expected her to. He always was… there, bright eyes and big smile. A wild ‘wahoo’ when he went tumbling down a hill whilst playing chase with her. An encouraging hand against the small of her back after a nightmare. A kiss in the mornings when he woke up first. A friendly face who gladly shared everything he had with her. He was still the bandicoot who actually _listened_ to her. Others didn't attribute much to him, but he was smart, he was kind- Crash was a lot of things.

Tawna can feel her stomach sink a little as she continues walking, her excitement draining. She breaks through the tree line, coming to a stop in front of Pinstripe and his gang. The Potoroo’s numbers have dropped significantly, but they’re still present. All of them are dressed in what they could find of tacky gangster wear. 

“Eeeey, sweet cakes!” Pinstripe greets with a bright grin and finger gun. His tommy gun is strapped to his back, muzzle pointed at the sky. “I was hoping you’d make it.” 

“I- just had to say hello.” She managed with a slim smile. “It’s been awhile.” 

“A few months even. Can you believe it? All this?” He spreads his arms wide laughing once again setting off a chain reaction from his gang behind him. “Cortex bit the big one, so no more army. Means the whole world is our oyster. We can do anything we want.” 

“Yeah.” She offers a bit blankly back, rubbing her arm awkwardly as she looks over Pinstripe. Would she want a life with him? “I thought you’d be out of here by now.”

“Naw, we had to regroup a little. Your boy-“ He sneers a little bit on the word boy immediately make Tawna’s fingers tighten on her arm defensively. “put a bit of a hole in my group. Not to mention ruined half the castle. What a disaster tornado. First he can’t talk now this. What a pain in the ass.” 

“Crash was trying to help.” She states cooly, standing up a little taller now, finding some enjoyment in the fact she was still taller than Pinstripe and the other Potoroo’s. She towered over so many of the mutants it was startlingly funny at times. “Did you really want to help Cortex take over the world? It didn't exactly seem like something you were excited about.” Even with the lift his classy loafers give him, he’s still far shorter than he’d like. Tawna can see his displeasure at being reminded show in his face.

“I was his bodyguard, babe. I stood a chance to make good money. Moolah keeps the world turning.” He shrugs a little defensively now, “That’s not why I wrote you a letter. I remember when we last talked, you said something about wanting to travel.” 

He hits her insecurity so keenly Tawna wonders if she’s easy to read. “And-?” 

“Well, I’m giving you the chance to go, toots.” He arches a brow back, “If you’re my girl and you go with me anyway. I’m only gonna show my babe a good time, not someone whose just a friend.” Tawna frowns at that, wondering if that had been his angle the entire time. He wanted her as a bit of romantic arm candy opposed to a partner or friend. “Sides what’s a girl like you got to do here? Settle down and have a horde of little bandicoots?” He chuckles at that, “Especially with a guy like that? I mean… there ain’t much goin’ on up there.” He taps at the side of his head for emphasis. The rest of the Potoroo’s laugh amongst themselves at that. It makes Tawna’s blood boil, she takes a step forward looming over Pinstripe making him awkwardly take a step back. He hadn't expected her to react had he?

“I’d rather go in the evolveo-ray again, than go with you.” She states cooly in turn, the urge to slug the guy rising rapidly. She simply points at him, jabbing in the chest. “Much less be your girl. You must be crazy if you think that much is going to make me jump into _your_ arms.” 

“Alright, alright- eesh.” Pinstripe holds a hand up in surrender, taking another step back. Irritation is written across his features as he dusts the front of his suit off. Being embarrassed in front of his gang makes his mouth far smarter than his head. “Hanging around that reject is making your brain cells drop off obviously. Dunno why I bothered to offer you anything when you'll settle for a big ole zero.” 

Tawna takes a bit too much pleasure in knocking Pinstripe over with a punch. She isn't as practiced as Crash, but she can knock someone over fairly easily. He hits the sand in a less than dignified manner, spluttering loudly as he cradles his snout. “Have a nice trip, Pinstripe.” She bites out, striding away angrily. She knows the jungle well enough to get away before Pinstripe can think about retaliating. She can hear some very unhappy shouting fading off behind her and she doesn’t care. Tawna simply runs, this time with someone else in mind. 

As soon as she sees Crash again, she wraps him up in an embrace. A wordless apology for nearly running off with a creeper. Not that Crash really knows, the wordless bandicoot gladly hugs her back. He makes a few concerned sounds asking her if she’s okay. Tawna knows how to interpret the odd sounds Crash makes by now.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She promises with a tiny smile. “Just kinda tired.” 

Crash wrinkles his nose a little, reaching up to touch her cheek gently. 

“Yeah, Pinstripe is still… a jerk.” She finishes, sticking her tongue out a little. “He wanted me to be ‘his girl’, his ‘babe’. I wasn’t really into the idea.” 

Crash’s eyes narrow at that, ears flipping back against his skull. Tawna can read the jealousy and protectiveness in kind, simply hugging him closer. “Crash. I’m no one’s girl or babe. I’m your partner.” That much settles the other bandicoot. He exhales, simply resting his cheek against her shoulder. Tawna simply runs a hand through Crash’s fur, laughing a little when he drops off after a bit of gentle fur stroking. She hefts him up into her arms, carrying the other bandicoot towards their rickety home.

\---

They have a few more weeks of peace until a small bandicoot girl stumbles into ‘town’. Before long she’s brought to the Bandicoot home by other mutants. Tawna doesn’t recognize her but Crash does given his reaction to the sight of her. He rushes forward chattering in a jumble of strange sounds that make no sense to anyone but her and this little girl. Tawna hangs back surprised at how worried and fussy Crash is over the girl. Tawna knew there had been other Bandicoots tested on, but didn’t know there was another ‘success’ in their group, much less one Crash knew. 

“I’m Coco.” The girl offers weakly back, finally glancing at Tawna. She toys with the hem of the overly large shirt she’s wearing. The fabric is tattered at this point, showing she’s been living by herself for awhile now. Her feet are bare and mud caked on the knees of her pants. A loose rope is holding her pants somewhat up around her waist. Her blonde hair is a messy tangle, held up in a rough bun. She has a rats nest of hair at this point that needs a lot of help. “Crash helped me back at the castle. After you were taken away for tests… I was kind of brought in for awhile.” That odd period where she had to go through combat training and was separated from Crash for a month or more. Possibly the worst month of her short life. Only made worse when Crash was taken for some of the same training. “We were the only Bandicoots and… he was the only one who’d talk to me.”

Tawna nods slowly, turning over the information in her mind. She had wish Crash had mentioned it, but their time to talk had diminished after a certain point. Cortex had plans on a schedule, which meant less and less time to talk. “I’m Tawna.” 

Coco smiles a little, “I kinda figured. Crash talked about you a lot. A lot, a lot.” 

“Did he now?” Tawna cuts her gaze to her boyfriend who is looking a bit fluffier in embarrassment. His fur always ruffles up in embarrassment. 

“Mhmm.” Coco’s smile widens now, giggling. “When he didn’t talk about you, he’d just stare at where your cage used to be all the time. He was kinda mooning over you allll the time.” 

Crash waves his hand chattering in an attempt to silence Coco only making her giggle more. “I’m just telling her the truth! I’m not exaggerating at all!” Tawna has to laugh, feeling warm and content at the oddly cute scene unfolding before her. “I’m glad someone was keeping an eye on him. I was wondering how he managed without me.” 

“He barely did. He looooveees you.” Coco offered back, laughing fully as Crash yanked her into a gentle noogie. “Noooo! Not the noogie!” 

"Now, now-" Tawna readily swoops in to pick Crash up. "Play nice!" Crash chatters in turn, squirming futilely in her grasp before going limp. He knows he can’t escape his girlfriend’s grasp when she sets her mind to hauling him around.

"He's my big brother, so he plays pretty nice." The eleven year old pipes back up, smiling widely at the sight of Crash being hauled around like a wet cat by his girlfriend. Crash looks at Tawna a bit worried obviously of what she thinks of this. 

“He had better.” Tawna simply tucks her boyfriend under her arm. “Since you’re going to be living with us, why don’t you come inside and pick a room?” 

Coco’s eyes widen, surprised but hopeful. She hadn’t expected this. “Really?” 

Crash chatters in affirmation, offering a side ways thumbs up given his current position under Tawna’s arm. “After you’re settled we’ll see if anyone else have anything that actually fits you.” The shirt and tattered pants look like they’re about to fall off if Coco gets a bit too active. The fact she managed to keep it on now is a feat to her survival skills.

Coco readily and happily follows the couple (well Tawna given she’s carrying Crash still) towards the house. Coco pokes around excitedly, finding a spare room to claim as her own. It’s only half finished but it is hers. Tawna gladly helps Coco comb out her hair, her fur and pick out loose jungle foliage from her fur. Crash hangs around, helping when Tawna’s hand gets a bit tired. The rats nest of hair is defeated soundly enough with two adult bandicoots working at it together.

They become a family. Only growing larger when a Witch Doctor named Aku Aku shows up. Tawna has to wonder how Crash manages to bump into the weirdest people.


	2. Settlements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tawna's wanderlust evolves with time. Evolves with her odd little family.

The wanderlust still lurks under her skin, but it doesn’t make her antsy. Instead she finds herself pouring energy into helping where she can. More mutants seem to show up, more seem to settle in around the odd community that’s grown. New houses need to be built, a well needs to be dug for fresh water for everyone, new clothes need to be made. Tawna rarely finds her afternoons as free as they used to be. 

A small part of her wants to resent it. The rest of her finds some comfort in being busy. Callouses form under her fur on her hands as she helps. Crash is a familiar weight next to her. Coco becomes just as familiar. Aku Aku is more illusive, but Tawna adjusts to him with time. 

The community keeps growing around them, families begin to form with the time that passes. Tawna knows their community will never exactly be like a traditional human city, but she’s okay with that. The glitz and glamor she saw in those movies Cortex forced all of the mutants to watch couldn’t be all that real after all. 

A tailors shop pops up, as does an attempt at a grocer, a sort of library crops up, along with a baker, followed shortly by an ‘actual’ doctor (well he was taught how to mend broken bones by N.Brio). There are no official fancy buildings as much as signs hung up on specific homes. Before long Coco places one on their door for mechanical things. Tawna has no idea how the girl knows so much, but she has to admire the twelve year old’s brilliance. Appliances cobbled together from stolen tech come together, electricity is talked about in detail. Enough detail Tawna know she’s lost as is Crash. The two share glances when Coco so confidently holds court of the other mutants, able to speak in complete ease that she could figure things out. . 

Somehow Tawna is not remotely surprised when Coco and a few other tech minded mutants manage to bring power to their community. The set up is rough and kind of weird looking, but it all works. Tawna is happy with that given the fact it means they now can actually save food and live a bit more comfortably. They have lights at night, lights that aren’t all lanterns or torches. The chance of any fires breaking out lessen to some degree. 

The water bucket on the counter top in the kitchen catches the morning light as it pours in through the window. The water isn’t the freshest but its what they have to wash any errant dishes from their meals for the next few days. Coco is scrubbing at one dish setting it aside in a drying rack before moving onto the other. Dishes from the night before were forgotten in the bucket when everyone went to bed. Once the twelve year old finishes she dries her hands, setting the bucket back against the wall behind the countertop in an attempt to avoid it spilling. 

“All we need is a plumber, for running water.” Tawna jokes casually as she toys with the toaster oven’s lever. Coco flops into her usual seat at the kitchen table (well its a rock with a piece of wood propped on it to form a table) her notes and papers spread out on her side. Tawna smiles a little as the girl starts to clean up out of habit without needing to be prodded. 

Crash is fiddling with the stove, competent and at ease as he works on scrambling eggs. Even with their settled electricity too much use in one house could take down the entire house, so she’ll wait until Crash finishes. 

The sound of Coco scribbling on a note pad is enough to make Tawna sigh. She spares the twelve year old nearby a look, “Please do not run out before breakfast to learn the art of plumbing.” 

Coco huffs, mildly indignant but clearly caught in a brief thought. “I’m still working on the electricity you know. The grid is so shaky. We need to stabilize it before we move onto any other projects.” 

Crash chatters back, waggling the wonky hand carved spatula back at his sister. Tawna has to laugh a little, reaching out to adjust Crash’s grip on the spatula before he chucked it across the room again.

“I told you, I didn’t knock out the whole grid. That was Humphrey.” Coco defends hotly back, “He didn’t listen to me. Just cause I’m young doesn’t mean I’m clueless.” 

“Do you want one of us to talk with him?” Tawna questions with a quirk of her brow. 

“Nah, I can handle it.” Coco offers the older blonde woman a smile, clearly confident in her abilities. Tawna has to admire that, though the thought doesn’t last long as the power pops off. 

“Ugghhh!” Coco’s frustration is tangible enough Tawna knows someone is going to get a lecture from a very angry child in two seconds. 

Crash chatters his agreement, pushing the pan aside for now as he fumbles to open a few more curtains around the room to let in light. Tawna abandons her post by the toaster to help Crash, peeking out at the community downhill from them. “Looks like someone knocked the whole grid down.” 

Crash grumbles a little, fluffing up as he opens a window.

“Do we wanna take bets on who it is this time?” Tawna jokes casually, eying the two perturbed bandicoots. “I’m guessing it’s Kola family again.” 

“I should have never made them hairdryers.” Coco swears lowly to herself, moving from her spot to fumble with the fusebox built on the inside of their home. A flashlight is handed to her by Crash. Tawna just grabs some bread to cut and eat.

The community is coming together, but it’s still just as strange as ever. Tawna knows if she had gone with Pinstripe, she’d likely be in the lap of luxury, basking in glory brought on by intimation and violence. Pinstripe would have lavish her with attention, jewels, fine wines and promises of being wealthier than anyone else. 

She chews her relatively fresh sliced bread, watching as Coco manages to get the lights back up in their home before the teenager stalks outside to attend to everywhere else. Crash called after her worriedly before walking back to Tawna, giving her a quick peck on the shoulder as he passed. The brief affection leaves Tawna feeling giddy, maybe a little silly for that much making her want to kiss him even more so. 

Sure, the lap of luxury seemed nice, but she couldn’t get this in Chicago. Once she finishes her current bite of bread she moves to yank Crash into a kiss. The bandicoot barely has time to react before he melts into it. He's eager to kiss back, leaning heavily into Tawna for support. 

Not that it lasts long as Coco returns. The disgusted noise she makes is the most warning the two gets as she walks in. “You two are so gross.” Even with the huffing and puffing, Tawna can tell Coco doesn't _really_ mind. 

Crash breaks off with an embarrassed noise, only to be dragged in for another kiss by Tawna. Coco makes some fake gagging sounds as she heads to her room to grab her toolbox. By the time she’s back Crash and Tawna are composed to some extent. 

“Good luck with the grid.” Tawna glances to Crash as he adds his own two cents in. She nods, “Right, don’t forget to come back here and eat breakfast with us.” Coco huffs but a smile does curl across her lips. “I know. I’ll be back.” She hefts her clearly too big for her toolbox and heads out.


End file.
